Ch2 29:1, Hezekiah's good reign; Ch2 29:3, He restores religion; Ch2 29:5, He exhorts the Levites; Ch2 29:12, They sanctify themselves, and cleanse the house of God Ch2 29:20, Hezekiah offers solemn sacrifices, wherein the Levites are more forward than the priests.

Those, says Matthew Henry, who turn their backs upon God's ordinances, may truly be said to forsake God himself. The lamps were not lighted, and incense was not burnt. there are still such neglects as these, and they are no less culpable, if the Word be not duly read and opened, answering to the lighting of the lamps, and if prayers and praises be not duly offered up, which was signified by the burning of incense.

he hath delivered: It is probable Hezekiah refers to that dreadful defeat by the Israelites, in which one hundred and twenty thousand were slain, and two hundred thousand taken prisoners. See Ch2 28:6-8.

the priests: The priests and Levites cleansed first the courts both of the priests and of the people. On this labour they spent eight days. Then they cleansed the interior of the temple; but, as the Levites had no right to enter the temple, the priests carried all the dirt and rubbish to the porch, whence they were collected by the Levites, carried away, and cast into the brook Kidron. in this work, eight more days were occupied; and thus the temple was purified in sixteen days.

they brought: The law only required one bullock for the sins of the high priest, another for the sins of the people, and one he-goat for the sins of the prince, but Hezekiah offered many more, and the reason appears sufficiently evident. the law only speaks of the sins of ignorance, but here there were sins of every dye, idolatry, apostasy from the Divine worship, profanation of the temple, etc., etc. The sin offerings, we are informed, were offered, first, for the Kingdom, for the transgressions of the king and his family; secondly, for the sanctuary, which had been defiled and polluted; and for the priests, who had been profane, negligent, and unholy; and finally, for Judah, for the whole mass of the people, who had been led away into every kind of abomination by the above examples.

and as many: etc. As the burnt offerings were wholly consumed on the altar, the offering of them evinced greater zeal and liberality than the oblation of peace offerings, the greater part of which was eaten by the officer and his friends. Lev 1:3, Lev 23:38; Ezr 1:4

the number: Comparing the sacrifices offered on this occasion with those of Solomon at the dedication of the temple, we may form some idea of the decrease of the prosperity and riches of Judah, or of the decline of the general spirit of piety. Kg1 3:4, Kg1 8:63; Ch1 29:21; Ezr 6:17

the priests: Peace offerings, and such like, the Levites might flay and dress; but the whole burnt offerings could only be touched by the priests, except in a case of necessity, such as the present. Ch2 29:5, Ch2 30:16, Ch2 30:17

Hezekiah rejoiced: Both Hezekiah and the people rejoiced, that God had prepared the hearts of the people to bring about so great and glorious a reformation in so short a time. This good king's example and influence were here, as in many other cases, under God, the grand spring of all those mighty movements. Ch1 29:9, Ch1 29:17; Ezr 6:22; Th1 3:8, Th1 3:9